Elisha prayed, and said,
2 Kings 6:17Lord, I pray Thee, open his eyes, that he may see.
And the Lord opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.
Words & Music: Charles E. Pollock, in The Best Gospel Songs and Their Composers (Dalton, Georgia: Anthony J. Showalter, 1904), number 42 (🔊 pdf nwc).
If you know where to get a good photo of Pollock (head & shoulders, at least 200×300 pixels),
’Tis but a veil that hangs between
The unseen world and this,
And hides from view the sainted forms,
The world of perfect bliss.
Refrain
When the veil is lifted,
In the by and by,
Scenes of wondrous beauty
Will greet the raptured eye;
Forms of cherished loved ones,
Hosts of angels bright,
When the veil is lifted,
Will dawn upon our sight.
To calm the servant’s needless fears,
God drew this veil aside;
When all about Elisha, lo!
A mighty host he spied.
Refrain
Departing saints such scenes behold,
As in death’s arms they sink;
May Heaven not be near us now?
E’en nearer than we think?
Refrain